[onebyone]

Hello Declutterers

My new goal is to get the apartment into shape for the cat sitter. If we don't take Caesar with us when we leave in July for 2 weeks, then we will have to get a cat sitter to come in to feed and visit with Caesar. This will include going into the kitchen for feeding, sitting in the living room with him for patting/playing and then into the back bedroom and bathroom for litterbox cleaning. All these areas have to be accessible and neat. I am going to make a to-do list based on this and I have until July 3rd to complete it.

It's good to have a plan again.

Bye

[Lexxiss]

Hello Declutterers!

I'm tired and stressed, but recognize that sticking with my routine and home will make me feel better. credit. Baby was here yesterday, flowers are all over and my travel box hasn't been unpacked. The office seems cluttered with paperwork. I want to continue in the yard.

Big accomplishment:
Bridal bouquet is almost finished. I worked on it while DD and I were here waiting to hear about her car.

Goals for today:
Put away travel box stuff
Declutter in office
The usuals (make bed, dishes, laundry)
Work in the yard for 1/2 hour
Sit and see how much more progress I can make with flowers

I had an "aha" moment yesterday: I was in Denver and drove by my favorite thrift store. I had absolutely 0 desire to go in....This is great progress and reminds me if I keep practicing my Beck skills with my food life (especially emotional eating) that I can continue to make great progress there, too.

[onebyone]

Hi. My gut is telling me to clear out my studio space and I am beginning that tomorrow after the market. I've decided to rent the 5' x 5' storage locker across the street from my studio. In it I will store finsihed drawings, my craft drawers and spare tables and other art supplies. Right now I have no clear, clear wall space anywhere. I can't work in there for all the distraction. It will be an extra $70 a month. We can swing that--I can swing that on my own I think. I will give myself until the end of October to decide if the locker is serving a real purpose or not.

Bye!

Lexxiss Great job sticking wiht the yard work. I just spent the morning, or about 3 hours, in the garden plot and it was HARD. yikes. And I actually like doing that stuff... extra kudos to you for tackling something that isn't really your cup of tea.

[Lexxiss]

onebyone, I am interested to hear how your studio/storage idea progresses....

I have a day off and I'm going to stay home today. Sometimes getting in the car and going somewhere is a technique from somewhere in my brain which allows me to go "do something" which seems important and then things that need to be done at home just sit. I call it planned procrastination. I'm learning that procrastination is not in line with my moving forward with progress on the home front.

Today I am going to go through every room and do something. Pick up/tidy up/declutter/clean. I'm going to work in the yard a bit, too. I tried on a shirt last night to wear to my neighbors...it isn't me anymore so I'll carry it down to the thrift box. No need to even put it back away (or let it sit out for awhile). When I went down late last night the pup had peed on the carpet in the cat room so I must drag the carpet cleaner out. I think I'll just do the whole room while I'm at it.

That should take care of the day. If I get my chores done and mom wants to go somewhere then we will.

[Lexxiss]

Hi!

Yesterday went well. I didn't go anywhere. Before I got going in the morning I decided to challenge myself and work on my rooms in a pattern:
~one easy
~one difficult
~one easy
~one difficult
I started by picking up all the flowers in the living room(easy)
then to the laundry room/cat room for carpet cleaning(difficult)
upstairs to the bedroom(easy)
back down to the kitchen(difficult) (I took apart the dishwasher and washed everything down.)
upstairs to the tv room (easy)
then to the office (difficult)
I didn't want to forget the yard so I went out and did some minimal raking
Credit

The house looks and feels much better today. My sweep took about 3 hours. Not too bad. I was reminded again, how important it is to me to make our home a priority.

This morning I bounced around a bit working more in the office, cleaning the cat box then heading outside for some very minimal weed pulling. It moved me forward. Then I sat down for about an hour and made progress with the wedding flowers. I finished both "mom" corsages AND the two "grandma" corsages. All the boutineres are finished...bride and bridesmaids need some finishing touches then I am done. I'm so happy when I can recognize that procrastination is not my friend. I'm almost finished a month ahead of the deadline.

I also recognize that my keeping my home in order on a daily basis my heart and mind are freed from the "clutter" so I can work creatively on the extra projects that need to be done.
Yay!

[onebyone]

Hello To All Who Visit Here

We are closing in on the end of this Summer Declutter Challenge. Time is whizzing by...

I was at my studio yesterday and I very slowly, put stuff onto one side of my studio and cleared everything from 2 of my four sides of the space. I still long for it to be totally empty. But maybe if I can get everything onto one side then I can eliminate from there. If I need a storage space to achieve my clear studio I've decided to put a time limit on it--like when the temperature in my studio goes below 10C again I may as well move the stuff back in as I can't work long in there anyway. Or I can get another or a more effiicent heater, but this is for later. Right now I need to be singular minded and get that space cleared out.

Decluttering here at home will take the form of getting the kitchen in order once more. Dishes done mostly.

Bye for now.

[Lexxiss]

On this first day of Summer I'm going to take 1/2 hour to go through the house here....pick up and pitch.

I'm glad to keep participating here. As I continue to focus on a daily routine of decluttering/maintaining my losses and keeping my home(s) clean I find I have again made great progress. I'd say my most visible success has been to take my short but daily routine out into my yard(s). The 15 min/day has really added up and I find I have less weeds(decluttered), a new flower bed established and maintained AND I've kept things picked up/raked up, etc.

I really enjoy my home life with lots less "stuff". I find it far easier to let go of procrastination as my home life has become far more manageable.

Take care, all!

[onebyone]

Hey Everyone:

Thanks to all who participated in this spring challenge. This group helped me meet some goals when I needed to and I do feel I have more skills and more direction and plain old ooomph to move forward. Look for a new decluttering thread to begin on Super Moon Sunday - the day after tomorrow. I look forward to making more progress throughout the year.